Rating: 
Summary: My first Jeffrey Archer read
Review: This was my first Jeffrey Archer novel, but it will not be my last. Although the plot was at times a stretch, I still found it fascinating. For me it was a real page turner. I was intrigued as to how it would end and the ending is brilliant. I did find it a bit distracting that the author often puts into the mouths of Americans and otherwise uses expressions and terminology that are more British than American. However, I was able to get by that because I found everything else about the book so satisfying. The characters and the situations elicited real responses from me. A few times I responded out loud. A couple of times I even felt a tear in my eye. A very good book. I have already recommended it several times and will continue to recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: ENDS WITH A WIMPER
Review: Premise was good and details sharp. However, I got to the end and could not believe what a let down it was.
Rating: 
Summary: Archer's latest is a disappointment
Review: I've been a longtime fan of Jeffrey Archer . . . his KANE AND
ABEL has always been one of my favorite novels (a real page-turner, subsequently turned into an equally fine TV mini-series) . . . in addition, his short story collections have often entertained me.But Archer's latest, SONS OF FORTUNE, disappoints . . . part
of the reason is that the premise--twins separated at birth--has
been been done before, often with better results . . . there is
nothing very original here, and you can predict much of what
is going to happen long before it does. So to shake things up a bit, Archer throws in far too many
subplots . . . also, I didn't care very much for any of the
characters . . . the ending was poor, too . . . it hinted at
a sequel, but if there is one, I'm certainly not going to
rush out to buy it. Only the dialogue managed to keep my attention . . . there
were a few well-written parts; among them: "Su Ling," she said quietly. "Su Ling, if I promise never to try and seduce you until after I've asked for your hand in marriage, sought your father's permission, produced a ring, booked the church, and had the banns read, will you at least let me take you to dinner?" Nat waited for the laughter to die down, before he said, "I fell in love with Su Ling the moment I saw her, a feeling that was clearly not reciprocated, but then, as I've already explained, I'm blessed with my father's good looks. And so let me end by inviting you all to our golden wedding anniversary on July 11, 2024." He paused. "Only wimps and those who dare to die in between will be excused attendance." He raised his glass. "To my wife, Su Ling." Also, I was able to find the following two bits of advice that
can be used in a variety of situations: " . . . and don't forget to talk to every student you come
across--you remember the routine, 'Hi, my name is Nat Cartwright, and I'm running for president, and I hope I can rely on your support.' Then listen to what they have to say, because if they believe you're interested in their views, you have a far better chance of their support." "Thank you, Mrs. Townsend," said Fletcher, whose father had once
told him never to forget a secretary's name-after all, they spend more time with the boss than his wife ever does.
Rating:
Summary: Parallel lives
Review: Early on, a character in Sons of Fortune is involved with the plays Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night; actually, he should have been more interested in Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. Not that the character's life is comic, but like the play, his is a story of being separated at birth from a twin brother. This event sends the two boys on life paths that are as similar as they are different. This type of novel is Jeffrey Archer's forte: a tale of parallel lives, following two characters as their lives intersect and diverge. This worked best in Kane & Abel, although First Among Equals is also good. The Fourth Estate, however, suffers from its lack of likable protagonists. In this book, however, Nat Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport are pleasant enough. That is perhaps this novel's great failing; the characters are never really true adversaries, even in the final part of the book when they are in competition. Instead, they have only one enemy in common, a weaselly rival who is almost completely virtueless but is often inexplicably successful. Fortunately, Archer makes the twins fraternal, not identical, reducing the cliches of them just missing each other or not having anyone else catch on. Unfortunately, the fact that they are related plays little part in the story, and when all is eventually revealed, it is with a thud, not a bang. Despite these flaws, this story still rates a weak four stars. Archer is a skillful writer and he is able to make his story entertaining even if inferior to his other works. This is a novel that may irritate you after you get done reading it, but while you are in the middle, you will be drawn in and have fun. Overall, Archer has written another good book, shallow but still good.
Rating: 
Summary: A Far Cry From His Previous Works
Review: Being a ardent fan of Jeffery Archer, I am greatly disappointed by his latest novel. It will be more interesting if the mothers were to know of the twin brothers. Afterall, the Davenports are highly educated and in health business. Don't tell me they never suspected such strange blood type of their "only" child? I am truly disappointed after reading this book, and it only leaves me the perception that he came out with this book to earn some money to cover his legal expenses. It's a complete waste of time and money. i don't think I even want to read any more of his future works.
Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: The story flows really well. It's never as good as Kane & Abel (Archer's best novel), but I don't think Jeffrey Archer will ever write something as good. This book accomplishes its goal: to entertain.
Rating:
Summary: awful beyond belief
Review: It doesn't take much for me to love a Jeffrey Archer book. I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Until this one. Is it possible he had someone else write it for him to cover defense costs that resulted in his imprisonment?
Fiction is an escape. It doesn't have to be completely plausible or believable to make it work. But this story is so totally absurd that I literally laughed out loud at some of the plot twists, only to find even more absurdity later on. Trite, stupid, inane. That doesn't even begin to describe this piece of garbage. Archer should be ashamed.
Ordinarily, I would have told my wife to forget reading such a horrible waste, but in this situation I asked her to read it so she could understand my rants and tell me if I had gone mad. Her response was to read it. Her only comment was to throw it against the wall.
Why do require me to give this even one star?
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - Factually Inaccurate
Review: This is another great book by Jeffrey Archer. Having grown up in Hartford Country (East Hartford, same as Sen. Gates) at the time of the novel, there are a number of historical inaccuracies. "Pull The Top Lever" was the political ad of the time - there were voting machines, not paper ballots. He also doesn't quite understand the office rankings in the US Army - Warrant is not a promotion from Lieutenant. But, don't let that stop you!
Rating:
Summary: Barely killed time
Review: I have read everyone of Jeffery Archer's books. His best is As the Crow Flies, this is his worst. Just a little to contrived and not very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Confusing read!
Review: Having been a fan of Jeffrey Archer since Kane and Abel I looked forward to this new novel. What a disappointment! I was confused and could not keep track of which twin was the Taft or Hotchkiss, Harvard or Yale, etc. Thought I must be losing it until the author showed he was in a fog as well, attributing a deed to one twin which belonged to the other. Mercy! I know the author is currently incarcerated but surely there are fewer distractions there and he could do better. Skip this one, Archer fans or have fun looking for errors. Where was his editor?
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